Bead Rollers

[loulou3012]

Hi ,
Please can anyone help ?
I have a couple of the pegasus bead rollers and  I love them but .....I can only seem to master some of the shapes ??
Does anyone know where there are any hints or tips or tutorials on how to use them please ?
Also the other problem I have is that sometimes the bead realease crumbles and the bead moves on the mandrel . Is that because I have got it too hot ?
Thanks
Lou x

[MadelineBunyan]

the rollers and shapers are fab, but a few shapes do take that little bit more practice

I found that bhb mandrels were the ones that the bead release broke more often on, for me.

if you are using fusion bead release, I found it helped to heat the whole dip, and keep it warm throughout making the bead.

there are some other tips on my blog, but was written more as a review and less as a hints and tips.

http://madelinebunyan.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/pegasus-beadshapers-and-cg-beadrollers/


if you tell us which shapes you're struggling with most, someone will be able to help!
also, have a look on youtube, theres often somehting there to help.

[cbeadies]

The videos and tips using beadrollers on the CG beads site may be helpful. 

http://cgbeads.com/beads_videos.html

[Madam Steph]

Hi Loulou.
I have several bead rollers from Pegasus.
You can always email Bev and she will advise you on the shapes you have probs with.
When I know which colours I'm going to use, I pull some stringer of the colour and that helps adding glass to the smaller ends of say, the ornate biconish shape. Alternatively, I add small dots to the ends from the rod and melt them in.
I have recently started using Fosterfire Smooth and Tough bead release. It's especially for press/roller or borosilicate work. It's more robust and even if I do manage to flake it, I have still never lost a bead or mandrel since using it.
Generally, less glass is more when you are using a press or a roller. You can more easily add to it than take away, although that is possible with care. The glass is moving around as you have not allowed a 'skin' to form before appying to the roller. If there is too much glass then this would certainly break the bead release as the molten glass moves around and you try to manipulate it into the crevices.
It takes time at first, but it will come with practice.
There are people here who are more experienced than me though, so maybe they can advise.

Linda x

[ScarletLeonard]

When I do rolled beads, the mandrel doesn't touch the graphite. (I seem to hover in the mandrel cavity.)
bead to the nearside edge not to the bottom of the cavity and gentle rolling not pressing the bead into the marver.

Same rule as with presses too, you can't just roll and have a bead. keep heating and rolling until it's right adding glass where you need it (you can see where you need to add glass because the roller won't cool that bit so it will still be glowing when you take the bead out.)

[Amber]

What Scarlet said  When I first started using presses, I had it in my head that I could only press once and I would have a perfect bead, but that rarely happens. Don't be afraid to add more glass and keep going back to roll again.

[Pegasus]

Hi Loulou.
I have several bead rollers from Pegasus.
You can always email Bev and she will advise you on the shapes you have probs with.

Hi Louise,
Thanks for asking for help, I've emailed you back from our website and I'm more than happy to help. XX

[loulou3012]

Thanks everyone for your advice , it is all very helpful .
Beverley has kindly offered to email me some tips and advice too so I am sure I will be able to master them soon :-)